<h2>Director's Notes</h2>
<h3>December 2011</h3>
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Hello All,
<p>I hope this message finds each and every one of you doing well. </p>
<h3>Research & Technical Activities: </h3>
<ul>
<li> A study on the “Quality of Eggs Impacted by Feeding DDGS to Layers” has been funded. The project outline has been completed and the animal trial portion of the study will start late January of 2012. </li>
<li> A project to conduct explosibility of co-products from corn to ethanol production was funded. Phase I of the ASTM test is complete and samples are needed for Phase II of the study.</li>
<li> Dr. Yan Zhang (NCERC, Director of Analytical Research) was invited to collaborate on a study to determine the benefits of mixing treated corn stover with DDGS for ruminant feed.</li>
<li>A study was funded to provide monthly chemical characterization of co-products and publish the results for on-line public access.</li>
<li> A funded project on corn kernel fiber began in December. We experimented with modified and unmodified yeast from USDA-NCAUR, to compare yields. We anticipate 20-L scale up in February or March. Our collaborator has finished the evolution of the NCAUR modified yeast and will be submitting it in January for fermentation tests.</li>
<li>The NCERC submitted a proposal for a “Next Generation Biofuels Production Program”. This grant will cover capital expenses to modify or retrofit renewable fuels plants that want to expand production of next generation biofuels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Publication:</h3>
<ul>
<li> The manuscript of “Survey of Mycotoxins in U.S. Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles from 2009 to 2011”by Y. Zhang and J. Caupert was accepted for publication by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (ACS journal).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Outreach:</h3>
<ul>
<li> <strong>NCERC Staff</strong>: Dr. Sabrina Trupia (NCERC, Director of Biological Research) was a reviewer in an NSF panel for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grants. </li>
<li><strong> NCERC Staff</strong>: Dr. Sabrina Trupia (NCERC, Director of Biological Research) served on the Master’s Committee of one of the NCERC’s PSM students (Chinomso Ibe). </li>
<li><strong>NCERC Staff</strong>: Dr. Sabrina Trupia (NCERC, Director of Biological Research) served on the Master’s Committee and attended the thesis proposal presentation of Ran Zhao of Civil Engineering. Ran Zhao will be carrying out a portion of her project (“Reusing Treated Municipal Wastewater for Fermentation and Ethanol Production”) in the NCERC Fermentation Labs in mid-January.</li>
</ul>
<p>Until next time, have a good, productive and safe month.</p>
<p>Regards,</p>
<p>John Caupert, Director National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center<br />Phone: 618-659-6737 Ext 226<br />Email: jcaupert@ethanolresearch.com</p>
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